Egypt demands Israeli withdrawal from Syria over 'flagrant violations'
14:43, 05/10/2026, MondayU: Update: 15:04, 05/10/2026, Monday
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File photoThe Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Monday condemned continued Israeli incursions into southern Syria and demanded the withdrawal of occupation forces, warning that excavation work in the Quneitra countryside constitutes a flagrant violation of Syrian sovereignty and the 1974 disengagement agreement.
Egypt's Foreign Ministry on Monday issued a strong condemnation of Israeli military incursions into southern Syria and demanded the immediate withdrawal of occupation forces from Syrian territory. The ministry specifically rejected Israeli moves aimed at "imposing a new reality on the ground" in Syria, according to an official statement.
The ministry said the Israeli actions constitute "a flagrant violation of Syria’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, international law and the 1974 disengagement agreement." It stressed the need to respect Syria’s sovereignty while calling for Israel to withdraw from occupied Syrian territory immediately.
Excavation work resumes
Israel on Sunday resumed excavation work as part of the "Sufa 53" project in the southern Quneitra countryside, while Israeli forces carried out incursions Saturday into the villages of Saida al-Golan and Abdin in western Daraa. The project, also known as the "Great Storm," began in mid-2022 near the town of Hader before expanding across several areas of the province.
The project’s expansion has rendered thousands of acres of agricultural land in the Quneitra countryside unsuitable for farming and grazing and affected water flows and the area’s natural landscape, according to previous accounts from local residents. The construction represents a direct challenge to the 1974 disengagement agreement governing the border region.
Post-Assad escalation
Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on Dec. 8, 2024, Israel has expanded military operations in Syria, advancing into the demilitarized buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights. Syria has demanded Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories and reaffirmed its commitment to the 1974 disengagement agreement.
Israel says its actions are driven by security considerations following the collapse of the Damascus government. Tensions remain high as Egyptian diplomatic pressure adds to international calls for respecting Syrian territorial integrity.
